Mineral and vitamin compositions are routinely used as dietary supplements either as therapeutic preparations directed to a specific medical problem or as general nutritional supplements.
Calcium and trace mineral supplementation is important for adults as well as growing children. The adult population requires additional calcium to help prevent the bone loss that goes along with the normal aging process. Postmenopausal women require more calcium due to the change in their hormonal status, which can accelerate the bone loss rate leading to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a prevalent condition, affecting as many as 15-20 million individuals in the United States. In osteoporosis, bone mass decreases causing bones to be more brittle, thus bones become more susceptible to fracture. It has been estimated that at least 1.3 million fractures in the U.S. are attributable to this disease National Osteoporosis Foundation, Stand UP to Osteoporosis, Your Guide to Staving Healthy and and Independent Through Prevention and Treatment, Washington, D.C. 1992!. Many scientist believe that a chronic shortage of dietary calcium is one very important factor leading to osteoporosis. Optimal calcium intake (1000-1500 mg) for adults may be achieved through diet, calcium fortified foods, calcium supplements or combinations thereof. Studies show that the usual intake of calcium for adult woment in the U.S. is between 450-500 mg per day U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service National Institutes of Health, Osteoporosis. Cause, Treatment Prevention, Maryland, National Institutes of Health, 1987!; this amount is well below the United States Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA). It has recently been reported that in addition to calcium, the minerals boron, copper, magnesium, manganese and zinc, play an important role in bone formation Strause, L., et at: The Role of Trace Elements in Bone Metabolism, Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis, New York, Raven Press, p. 223-233, 1992 and Nielsen, F.: Facts and Fallacies about Boron, Nutrition Today, 27 (3): 6-12, May/June 1992). In addition, vitamin D is known to play a critical role in the absorption of calcium by the human body. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is between 400 INternational Units, hereinafter called I. U., and 800 I.U. for an elderly person.
The present invention relates to a calcium, vitamin D and multimineral dietary supplement composition. The multiminerals can comprise one or more salts of boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc. The composition also comprises pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients.